Srinivasan to attend meet as TNCA representative

There has been widespread speculation over the last 24 hours on whether N Srinivasan will want to brave the Supreme Court notice and attend the BCCI working committee meeting in Kolkata on 1 September as president of the BCCI and also sit in the Chair. The speculation gained momentum because the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel decided to jump the gun and suggest that Srinivasan will indeed attend the meeting as president and will also Chair the proceedings. Patel, it must be stated, had said something similar on the eve of the last working committee meeting in Delhi on 2 August. He had claimed that Srinivasan had already assumed charge as president on 1 August and would be back at the helm from the Delhi WC meeting onwards.

The reality however was profoundly different. If Srinivasan did in fact assume charge on 1 August, he had to step aside again on 2 August allowing Jagmohan Dalmiya to continue as working chief of the BCCI. Clearly, Patel has not learnt his lesson and has once again made the same mistake. It is time perhaps for the BCCI secretary to become a little more discreet and to not shoot his mouth too much.

The fact is Srinivasan will not Chair the meeting on Sunday. Jagmohan Dalmiya will. In a round of telephone conversations last evening involving the BCCI top brass it was decided that Srinivasan will indeed attend the meeting but merely as TNCA representative. It was also decided that he will not be in the Chair for that might end up muddying the turf for the BCCI ahead of the crucial Supreme Court hearing on 11 September. Srinivasan, on his part, it is learnt, was desperate to assume charge but was told by the BCCI's top mandarins that it isn't prudent at this time to do so. They prevailed on him to come to Kolkata, sign the documents which require the signature of the elected president as per the norms of the BCCI's constitution but cede the president's Chair to Dalmiya for the time being. It was also decided that while Srinivasan will sign the notice convening the AGM as per the BCCI's constitution, Dalmiya will continue to be in power and disburse the day to day functions of the Board till the AGM.

Most importantly, many in the BCCI are uneasy after the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the BCCI and to N Srinivasan personally asking why it shouldn't appoint a new probe panel to look into the fixing mess. They feel that at this point in time Srinivasan bulldozing his way back to power may further harm the already negative image of the Board. The BCCI's image, which has taken a severe beating post the IPL fiasco, will be damaged further if all the BCCI appears to be interested in is restoring its strongman from the South to power ignoring the judiciary and all other issues of morality and ethics. In such a situation it was imperative that the Board's top brass, men like Arun Jaitley and Rajiv Shukla, prevail upon Srinivasan and make him see the writing on the wall. Dalmiya on his part, it is learnt, will make an announcement on the eve of the meeting telling the house the ground reality at the moment. He will be making it clear that Srinivasan is attending the meeting as TNCA president and that he will continue to disburse the day to day functions of the BCCI till Supreme Court decides on the matter.

The question is what happens after 11 September? There are three options to start with. Option 1 is Srinivasan and the BCCI get relief and the Mumbai High Court judgement is stayed and the Bihar Cricket Association SLP is rejected. In that case, which is a very unlikely scenario, Srinivasan can sure come back to power and seek the one year extension as president that he is so desperately seeking. Option 2 is the Supreme Court upholds the Bihar SLP and decides to appoint a new probe panel. That might be the end of Srinivsan's administrative career for he will then not be eligible to contest the BCCI elections due at the AGM. Option 3 is the Supreme Court asking the BCCI to appoint a new probe panel to look into the fixing mess upholding the Mumbai High Court's order of the last probe panel being unconstitutional and illegal. In that case too Srinivasan's administrative career will take a serious beating and he might not be in a position to seek extension in office.

All eyes for the moment are on 11 September and the Supreme Court. For the time being though the status quo will prevail and Mr. Dalmiya will continue to disburse the day to day functions of the BCCI as its interim chief.